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What do we mean by Indian furniture?
At this point it might be worth clarifying what is meant by the term Indian furniture, as used in the British furniture retail sector.  It does not include furniture of the Native American peoples, as might be the case in North America; nor does it include – however unlikely – furniture that has some connection with the Caribbean or West Indies.   

In UK furniture retail, the term is applied to any furniture style that might originate from, or have been influenced by, the Sub-Continent.  It is not restricted only to furniture that has been made in the country of India. Of course, Indian furniture is regarded as a relatively new category in the UK, but actually the styling influences extend back some 400 years, or as far back as Britain’s first contact with the region, beginning in the 1600s.  Merchants and traders were impressed and charmed by both the qualities of the many different species of timber and by the elaborate and intricate decorative styles they found.   

Semi-precious materials that could be inlaid to the wood were exported to Britain from the early 17th Century, as this was a time that coincided with the arrival of the Renaissance influence in Britain – well before sideboards as they might be re cognised today, let alone Indian sideboards, existed.   

What are the styling features that characterise the Indian sideboard?  
When it comes to distinguishing between an Indian sideboard or other categories then, as mentioned above, the first point to notice is the choice of timber.  This is almost invariably a hardwood.  Some ranges have wood that is similar to ‘European’ timber in that there is an evenness of colour and grain pattern throughout the piece, whilst others take the opposite approach and make a feature of the different colours and grain patterns in some timber.  

This is a result of the differences between the heartwood and outer wood of the tree.  Heartwood has a greater strength and provides the ‘skeleton’ to hold the tree upright.  The outer wood, or sapwood, carries the moisture and nutrients from root to branch and is akin to the blood vessels of the human body.   The colour differences between heartwood and sapwood can be very pronounced in some species, ranging from a light, golden yellow to a dark red-brown.  This is particularly apparent in large pieces of furniture such as Indian sideboards.  

The incorporation of Jali
The next distinguishing feature, certainly of the traditional or rustic-style Indian sideboards, is the incorporation of Jali into the design.  Jali is the name for the intricate lattice work, usually crafted in steel and bonded into the centre of panels in the same way as solid wooden panels are used in British or European designs.   

The name Jali does not apply solely to lattice work used in furniture, but is also used for decorative screens used in architecture, for example in mosques and temples of Oriental origin or influence.   Fittings on the traditional or rustic-style Indian sideboard, are usually made of metal, are elaborate in style and have a bright finish – such as brass or polished steel.  Fittings on the contemporary designs are typically more restrained and have a greater similarity to ‘European’ styles.